Stuart Bingham set up a World Championship quarter-final clash against Ronnie O’Sullivan after a convincing last 16 success against Graeme Dott.
Bingham remains in contention for Snooker’s greatest title thanks to a 13-5 triumph over the 2006 winner at Sheffield’s Crucible theatre.
The 38-year-old, who reached the last eight two years ago was delighted with the victory, which he completed on Saturday. He told BBC Sport: “It is a fantastic feeling to beat someone of Graeme’s level 13-5. I made a 64 in the first frame and that settled me down. That calmness stayed me with throughout the match.”
Bingham’s coach Stephen Feeney, who has pioneered sighting and alignment coaching methods in Snooker and other sports, says that Bingham knows he has the game to win more titles.
“When he’s on it, Stuart has a real power game which he showed when winning the Premier League” said Feeney, the world’s number one sighting and alignment expert.
“There is strong respect between Stuart and Ronnie, they know each other’s game and have had some close battles in the last 2 years. This quarter final match promises to be another.”
You only have to look at how strongly Bingham started against O’Sullivan in their UK Championship semi-final last year. “Even though the match didn’t go his way in the end, Stuart can draw on the experience from that. Even Ronnie said Stuart was bossing the match and this shows that he has it in his locker.
You don’t win titles without having the ability to beat the best players in the world and Stuart has definitely got that now – he is one of the top players on the circuit at the moment in his own right and will know he has to be at his best to progress to continue his challenge for the World Crown.
Bingham’s showdown with O’Sullivan starts at 14.30 on Tuesday and will be shown live on the BBC.